Undercover Elf
by castlefan83
Summary: To what lengths must our favorite detective and her plucky sidekick go to solve a case? *Complete for now*
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Well, I was supposed to be working on Ch. 3 of After the Cuffs, but I got distracted. So this is based on a prompt from M2 over at the 12__th__ to help pass the time until a new episode. The things to work with are: An "elf", a ponytail holder, a can of spray snow, and a blow up yard decoration. This is going to be a nice mostly "clean" version of this story. When I have more time I'm going to come back and "dirty" it up a bit. This is Beckett in an elf costume; it would be an insult to not write an 'M' chapter based on that alone. But until then, enjoy._

_Disclaimer: Do I own any of this? No, I just borrow them from time to time._

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><p>Castle was in the process of throwing tinsel on the tree when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and with a smile hit answer. "Why hello detective, miss me?"<p>

"Don't get all cutesy with me Castle, I'll be there in fifteen," and with that she hung up the phone.

Castle stared at the phone for a moment before giving his shoulders a shrug and resuming his decorating festivities. Once he determined that there was enough tinsel on the tree he admired his handiwork. All that was left were the boxes of ornaments, and he was waiting until Alexis got home from school to tackle that project. He went into the kitchen and started to rummage through all of the bags of decorations that he had bought earlier in the day. "Ooooo…..." he said as he reached down into one bag and pulled out a can of spray snow. He literally ran across the loft with the can and started spraying the windows. As he got to the second window the doorbell rang. _That must be Beckett_. He walked over to the door and started talking as he opened it. "You'll never guess what …." he paused in mid-sentence still holding up the can of spray snow. Standing outside of his door was Beckett, and not just any Beckett, Elf Beckett. It was like a Christmas dream come true. The outfit included everything, the pointy hat, and the tight fitting green skirt with the candy cane leggings, right down to the pointy shoes with bells at the tips. He looked up towards the ceiling about to thank the big man until Beckett brought him back to reality.

"Castle!"

He jumped and let out a little shriek. Unfortunately his finger was still on the spray snow can because he pressed down as he jumped and the canned snow went everywhere. He looked over at Beckett who was giving him a disapproving look, "That was a complete accident, won't happen again."

"I swear you are such a child Castle," she said as she walked past him into the loft.

He shut the door and then turned to follow. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of Santa's little helper's company today." He said trying very hard not to laugh, and even harder not to stare at the way the costume fit in all the right places.

"You remember the Davidson case."

'Yeah, the one where the elf was found in Santa's magic bag right before the Thanksgiving parade," he gave a little shiver when he thought back to that crime scene.

"They think it's tied to a drug smuggling ring that involves about a dozen or so Santa's."

Castle tried to stifle the laugh, but to no avail. "Wait, did you just really use the words Santa and drug smuggling in the same sentence?"

Beckett gave him one of her famous eye rolls before she went on to explain, "We think we've located one of the ring leaders. He's the Santa at the toy store on 91st and Florence. Gates wants someone to go in and get more information….undercover."

Castle broke out in a great big smile. "Not that I'm complaining about getting to see you in an elf costume detective, and a very hot one at that, but why am I going?"

"Ryan's out of town and Esposito would more than likely intimidate and scare the children. She thinks that you'll fit in nicely with the little kids since you usually act like one. Just stay out of the way," she said as she got an agitated look on her face and reached up to take off her elf hat. "Hold my hat Castle," she said as she handed it over to him.

"Is that all you want me to hold for you detective?"

"For now," she said with a slight grin.

He was caught off guard by that comment. She seemed to be doing that to him a lot lately. Not that he minded it was just something he was going to have to get used to.

Her hair was pulled back with a ponytail holder, but with the hat it was just too uncomfortable to wear it up for the day. She pulled the ponytail holder out of her hair and gave her head a little shake. She passed the ponytail holder over to Castle as she took her hat back and placed it back on her head.

"Ummmm…Beckett, what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Hold onto it for me since I am without pockets at the moment. Okay, let's go," she said as she turned and headed for the door.

"Wait, if you don't have pockets, then where's your badge and gun?"

Beckett turned back around, "I think that's a question for another time Castle," she smiled and proceeded to turn back around and walk out the door.

Castle's jaw dropped as he just stared at the open door.

Just then Beckett popped her head back in the doorway, "You coming Castle?"

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><p><em>AN: This was supposed to be a one shot, but I don't see that happening, and obviously I haven't used all of the required items. I think there will be at least one more chapter to this story, maybe two. Please read and review._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Wow…I totally didn't mean to leave this story unfinished for so long. *hangs head in shame* Here is the final chapter of this story. Originally I thought I would go back and do an album version of this story, but I just don't have the time at the moment and with Christmas done and over with there is just no point in dragging it out. Maybe next Christmas I'll revisit this story. I also need to be finishing my other fic. This did not end up the way I thought it was going to, the characters had other plans, but I'm pretty happy with this version. So without further ado here is the final chapter._

_Disclaimer: None of these amazing characters belong to me. Sad, I know. _

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><p>"Come on Castle! We should already be out there." Beckett yelled at him from the hallway impatiently tapping her elf shoes.<p>

"Well detective, if someone would have told me I would have had to dress up too we could have gotten here a lot sooner."

"This was a last minute change Castle. I'm not any happier about it than you are, but their guy cancelled on them at the last minute."

"I can see why he cancelled," Castle said as he walked out of the back room, or maybe waddled was the appropriate term.

Beckett's eyes got really big and the hint of a smile graced her lips. She looked at Castle in a terribly oversized snowman costume.

"Don't say anything. I'm getting into the holiday spirit to catch the bad guy. "

"Whatever you say Frosty," and with that Beckett completely broke out in a fit of giggles.

"You just wait until I get out of this costume detective. Then we'll see who's laughing then."

"Oooooo…I'm so scared Castle," she said with an innocent looking smile before turning and walking away. "Let's go Castle, we're late."

-C/B-

"Alright I'm here!" Beckett said as she walked into the Santa's village area.

Immediately there were wolf whistles and a couple of rude comments that had both Beckett and Castle wondering how much trouble they would get into if they knocked those guys' teeth out.

Castle was going to be hanging out at the exit handing candy to kids as they left and Beckett was to be standing right next to the Santa. As she walked up to their suspect dressed as Santa, he said, "Well feel free to sit in my lap anytime sweetheart."

She threw him a disgusted look and took her place reluctantly by his chair.

As things got underway she started to get a bit creeped out because one of the elves kept staring at her. After about fifteen minutes she was getting ready to say something when the elf moved over to another elf and whispered something is his ear. When they both looked over at her she realized that she had been discovered. They made a little movement with their hands and before she knew what was happening Santa jumped up, knocking the kid that was on his lap onto the floor, and shoved her into the nearby Christmas tree. Her leggings and hair were getting caught in the branches and she was trying to make sure that her skirt didn't ride up and show more of her than she wanted. She looked over to see Santa and the elves running towards the exit and Castle looking over at her and then looking towards the group heading towards him.

-C/B-

As Santa and the elves ran towards the exit Castle tried to figure out some way to stop them until Beckett could catch up. He quickly took in his surroundings and grabbed the first thing he saw. Picking up the oversized blow up Santa yard decoration he tried throwing it at the group, but they just pushed it aside like a beach ball. Then all of the sudden he had a thought. Quickly he threw himself at the group all the while turning himself sideways so that he would hit more people. Flying Castle Snowman caught them all off guard and as Castle slammed into them they all fell to the ground. One of the elves tried to get back up and run off, but Castle rolled back over him, "I'd stay put if I were you."

Just then Beckett came running over with a couple of security guards. He knew it was Beckett because he could hear the bells on her shoes as she ran. They rolled Castle off the suspects and proceeded to put them all in handcuffs and take them away.

Beckett turned back around and looked down at Castle. "Oh if only I had my phone, the boys would love to see this scene."

"Don't you dare!" Castle said as he rolled towards her and knocked her on top of him.

"You know Castle if you wanted me in this position all you had to do was ask. There was no need for violence," she said with a smile.

-C/B-

_One week later…_

Castle came walking in Monday morning with two coffees and a bear claw. He took his seat at Beckett's desk and handed over a coffee and the bear claw. She gave him a quick thanks, but didn't make direct eye contact. He had thought they had become closer over the last week and they were past a lot of this awkwardness, "So Beckett what up?"

"Nothing's up. Why would you think anything's up?" Beckett said rather quickly looking quite skittish.

Just then the boys rolled their chairs over to Beckett's desk. "So Castle," Esposito began, "Are you excited about the snow storm heading in later this week?"

"Not really, why do you ask?"

"Well we figured you'd love the chance to go out and play in the snow," Ryan said. "Eat snowflakes, throw snowballs at Beckett, build snowmen, take out innocent elves." Both Ryan and Esposito snickered at those last comments and Castle immediately knew where this conversation was going. He gave a quick glance at Beckett, but she had taken great interest in her coffee cup at the moment.

"Okay guys, I don't know what you've heard."

"Oh it's not what we heard Castle," Esposito said with a huge grin, "It's what we saw."

Castle's face dropped immediately. He heard a _thunk_ and turned to see that Beckett's head had fallen to her desk and she had erupted in a fit of laughter. He turned back to the boys, "What did you guys see?" he asked hesitantly.

"It's amazing what ends up on the internet these days," Ryan said as he pulled out his phone and brought up a video.

Castle internally cringed as a video of him in the snowman suit started playing, showing him taking out the bad guys and then Beckett. Whoever took the video got some great footage, they even did a slow motion as he was throwing himself at the bad guys, but he wished it would be destroyed. What he thought was awesome at the time just looks plain stupid when looking at the instant replay. "How did you guys find this?"

"A little birdy told us that if we wanted a good holiday laugh that we had to check out this site," Esposito said rather nonchalantly.

Castle quickly whipped his head around towards Beckett who had stopped laughing and was holding up her hands, "It's not my fault Castle if the guys look over my shoulder while I'm on my phone. You know how they like to be nosy," she said with a hint of a smile.

Before Castle could say anything else a booming voice scared them half to death.

"Beckett! Ryan! Esposito!" Everyone jumped at the sound of Gates voice across the bullpen. "Quit messing around and get back to work." Ryan and Esposito were in such a hurry to be somewhere else that they ran into each other. Beckett turned back to her desk to focus on her paperwork and Castle took out his phone to play a game. "Mr. Castle!"

Castle jumped and Beckett got a scared look in her eyes, "Yes sir?"

"There's no new body so go home."

"But…."

"No buts Mr. Castle. And try not to mow down any elves on your way home," and with that she went back into her office.

Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito looked at each other, and then at Castle, and proceeded to break into hysterics.

Castle just shook his head as he got up to leave. "No respect," he said as he walked off humming Frosty the Snowman, leaving the others almost falling off their chairs with laughter.

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><p><em>AN: So there we have it boys and girls! I am calling this one done. Please read and review. _

_Jen_


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